JC-NRLF 


SB    273    SDD 


PN 

4162 

M47 

1896 

MAIN 


GIFT  OF 
Class   of   1900 


hysical  Culture.,. 

and 

Development  of  the  Uolce 


BY 
HELEN  WILLARD  MERRITT 


PHYSICAL  CULTURE 


AND 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  VOICE 


BY 


HELEN    W1LLARD   MERR1TT 

\t      :':"...... 


ILLUSTRATED 


LOS   ANGELES,    CALIFORNIA 


Copyright,  1896 

BY 
HELEN  WILLARD  MERRITT 


CHAPTER  I. 

Physical  education  should  begin  the  hour  of  a  child's  birth. 
After  the  babe  has,  for  the  first  time,  been  dressed,  fed  and 
prepared  for  sleep,  it  should  be  placed  on  a  bed,  perfectly 
level,  and  not  too  soft,  in  such  a  position  that  pure  air  may 
freely  enter  its  lungs.  If  a  pillow  is  not  used  at  first,  it  will 
never  be  wanted,  and  none  should  be  allowed,  except  a  small 
one,  which  may  be  used  to  hold  the  body  in  a  comfortable 
position,  if  it  rests  on  either  side.  On  no  account  should  the 
shoulders  be  bent  forward,  as  the  "  round  shoulders,"  so  often 
seen  later  in  life,  are  first  bent  forward  in  early  infancy.  When 
lying  on  its  back,  no  pillow  should  be  allowed  to  touch  the 
child's  body. 

A  healthy  babe  at  first  shows  no  indication  of  "round 
shoulders."  These  are  produced  largely  by  improper  positions 
being  allowed  during  the  hours  for  sleep.  During  one  night's 
sleep  more  may  be  done  to  deform  the  body,  than  can  be 
accomplished  in  days  of  practice  to  overcome  the  evil  tendency 
thus  acquired. 

If  the  shoulders  are  turned  forward,  while  the  body  is  lying 
on  the  side,  the  shoulder-blades  become  curved  instead  of  flat, 
and  as  the  child  grows  older,  and  the  bones  harden,  it  becomes 
more  and  more  difficult  to  bring  the  shoulders:  back  to  the 
proper  position. 

If  the  natural  position  of  the  spine  wei;e  preserved!  thrt^gih 
babyhood,  childhood  and  youth,  vigorous  aricl  beautifully 
formed  men  and  women,  with  deep,  clear,  rich  voices,  dis- 

801888 


tinctly  audible  at  either  long  or  short  distances,  would  be  the 
rule,  rather  than  the  exception.  Development  of  the  voice 
may  be  attained  far  more  easily  and  quickly  by  muscular 
practice  than  by  "  voice  practice,"  as  such. 

Development  of  the  voice  should  be  begun  in  the  early 
infancy  of  the  child,  by  keeping  the  spine  in  its  normal  posi- 
tion. If  this  is  not  done,  the  unnatural  curve  forward,  from 
the  lower  part  of  the  shoulder-blades  upward,  will  prevent 
free  action  of  the  muscles  which  control  articulation  and 
obstruct  the  free  passage  of  the  breath  through  its  normal 
channels.  The  earlier  cries  of  a  babe  being  so  loud  and  pierc- 
ing, and  the  later  cries  being  more  hoarse  and  muffled,  when 
congestion  from  cold,  or  other  cause,  has  partially  closed  the 
air  passages,  clearly  prove  this. 

The  beautiful  curves  of  the  form  of  a  healthy  babe  of  six 
months  are  the  outlines  of  the  muscles  and  bones  in  a  state  of 
healthy  growth.  The  angular,  misshapen  bodies,  seen  later 
in  life,  of  those  who  were  so  lovely  in  infancy,  are  caused  by 
deformity  of  the  bones,  and  by  part  of  the  muscles  not  having 
exercise,  and  others  having  too  much.  If  we  would  have 
the  body  retain  in  age  the  rounded  outlines  of  early  youth,  all 
the  bones  and  muscles  must  have  daily  exercise,  just  as  the 
stomach  must  have  daily  food. 

From  theyzr^  the  child  should  be  taught  that  only  by  using 

the  power  given  us,  should  we  hope  to  gain  more.     Every 

muscle,   in  order  to  attain  its  fullest  development,  must   be 

.*  -exercised  .  and  ;  rested,     alternately.     Action   means   life  and 

^growth.  '/Iniciiw  means  decay  and  continual  loss  of  power. 

/,  :  :/I^u*;a,GCU»injilajtion  o*f.  waste  particles  of  decayed  tissue  causes 

'*'••  :dis£asVan&de&£h^6nl    b       roer  exercise  are  t 


by  proper  exercise  are  the  different 
parts  of  the  body  enabled  to  cast  these  off  rapidly,  and  receive 

6 


the  new  particles  essential  to  healthy  growth.  To  care,  most 
wisely,  for  the  growth  and  repair  of  the  body  is  the  duty  of 
every  one. 

Of  the  texts  early  taught  to  the  child,  should  be,  "  Present 
your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service.  Ye  are  the  temple  of  God, 
and  the  spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you.  If  any  man  defile  the 
temple  of  God,  him  shall  God  destroy;  for  the  temple  of  God 
is  holy,  which  temple  ye  are." 


A  Healthful  Position  of  the  Body,  Sitting. 


CHAPTER  II. 

When  the  muscles  are  strong  enough  to  allow  the  child  to 
sit  upright,  the  one  who  holds  it  should  place  one  hand  gently 
against  the  chest,  and  the  other  against  the  spine  ;  thus  holding 
the  body  in  a  perfectly  upright  position,  while  the  muscles  are 
too  weak  to  keep  the  shoulders  from  drooping  forward  without 
such  aid.  This  practice  should  be  continued,  until  the  habit 
is  firmly  fixed,  and  the  child  has  grown  strong  enough  to  be 
safely  allowed  to  "sit  alone."  It  should  then  be  taught  to 
press  the  lower  part  of  the  body  firmly  back  against  the  chair, 
that  the  spine  may  have  a  perfectly  natural  position,  and  there- 
fore a  comfortable  one.  Few  modern  chairs  are  so  made,  that 
the  occupant's  position  is  either  a  comfortable  or  a  heathful 
one. 

The  reason  little  children  do  not  *  'sit  still, ' '  about  which  fact 
so  much  complaint  is  often  made,  is  not  that  "nervousness," 
which  is  the  reason  commonly  given,  but  simply  muscular 
weariness  that  makes  it  impossible  for  them  to  do  so.  The 
cramped  and  strained  position,  which  is  caused  by  children  sit- 
ting on  the  chairs  or  other  seats  made  for  "grown  people,"  will 
easily  account  for  much  of  the  "  nervousness  "  of  which  they 
stand  accused. 

Make  a  child  comfortable,  in  any  position,  and  there  is  not 
much  danger  that  there  will  be  instantly  a  desire  to  change  it. 
If  begun  at  the  right  time,  and  in  the  right  way,  children  may 
easily  be  taught  to  sit  quietly  ;  but  if  told  that  they  are  "nerv- 
ous "  and  "restless,"  and  thus  encouraged  to  do  all  in  their 


power  to  illustrate  perpetual  motion,  they  will,  in  most  cases, 
prove  very  apt  pupils.  At  first  a  child  should  not  be  required 
to  sit  still  more  than  one  minute  at  a  time.  Both  physical  and 
mental  self-control  may  easily  be  taught  in  this  way  and  with 
a  sense  of  real  pleasure  to  the  child. 

In  a  healthful  position  while  sitting,  the  femur  and  the 
spine  should  never  form  an  obtuse  angle.  The  child  should  be 
taught  to  sit  so  that  the  top  of  the  head  will  be  as  high  as 
possible.  If  this  is  always  done,  other  members  of  the  body 
will  easily  fall  into  a  healthful  position.  When  the  spine  is  in 
a  natural  position,  either  lying,  sitting  or  standing,  the  most 
valuable  muscular  exercises  for  development  of  the  voice  may 
be  performed,  without  uttering  a  word.  The  exercises  which 
tend  to  keep  the  spine  in  normal  position,  do  more  to  develop 
a  pure,  strong  quality  of  the  voice  than  all  the  ' '  voice  prac- 
tice,"  as  such,  that  can  be  performed. 

The  voice  is  the  unfailing  index  of  general,  physical  power, 
and  greater  or  less  loss  of  voice  power  inevitably  follows  dis- 
ease and  deformity.  If,  in  early  childhood,  the  spine  is  per- 
mitted to  assume  unnatural  curves,  the  deformity  of  the  throat 
and  other  organs  of  the  voice,  which  will  surely  follow,  pro- 
duces weak,  mumbling,  indistinct  articulation,  and  different 
forms  of  disease  of  the  organs  of  speech,  which  modify  the 
tones  of  the  voice  in  various  ways. 

If  the  muscles  which  control  the  action  of  the  vocal  chords 
in  exercise,  are  not  allowed  free  play,  they  become  practically 
paralyzed  ;  and  thus  the  delicate  shading  of  tone,  which  is 
essential  to  the  highest  success  in  word  painting,  becomes 
utterly  impossible.  For  the  same  reason,  continued  colds, 
which  cause  congestion  of  the  vocal  organs,  will,  in  time,  ren- 
der the  speaker  powerless  to  express  fine  shades  of  tone. 


While  the  throat  may  be  loosely  dressed  by  day,  it  should 
be  especially  well  protected  at  night.  The  habit  of  many 
people  to  reverse  this  rule  will  account  for  much  pain  and  suf- 
fering which  they  endure. 

A  clear,  full,  resonant  voice  is  heard  only  from  a  healthy, 
well-formed  body.  "God  made  man  upright,"  and  whatever 
causes  him  to  swerve  from  this  position,  diminishes  his  vocal, 
physical,  mental  and  moral  power. 


A  Healthful  Position  of  the  Body,  Standing. 


CHAPTER  III. 

When  the  child  is,  for  the  first  time,  permitted  to  stand  on 
its  feet,  the  body  should  be  so  poised  that  the  weight  will  fall 
evenly  on  the  "  balls  "  of  the  feet,  instead  of  the  "  heels."  If, 
at  this  all-important  time,  the  body  is  bent  slightly  forward 
from  the  ankles,  the  gait  thus  acquired  will  be  easy,  graceful 
and  comfortable.  Then  walking,  running  and  jumping  will 
be  delightful  to  the  child,  as  the  exercise  is  healthful  and  in- 
vigorating. Letting  the  weight  fall  upon  the  "  heels,"  rather 
than  the  "  balls  "  of  the  feet,  causes  the  hips  to  be  thrown  too 
far  forward,  and  the  spine  and  neck,  from  the  shoulder-blades 
upward  also,  to  be  unnaturally  bent  forward. 

These  faults,  increasing  through  childhood  and  youth,  pro- 
duce in  age  the  unsightly  protrusion  of  the  abdomen  from  the 
waist  line  down,  and  the  weak,  indistinct  voice,  such  de- 
formity of  the  neck  compels.  This  has  been  strikingly  illus- 
trated during  the  past  two  years  by  a  man,  whose  rich,  clear, 
resonant  voice,  two  years  since,  "was  a  delight  to  all  listeners. 
But  as  his  head  has  sunk  lower  and  lower  towards  his  chest, 
his  tones  have  gradually  lost  their  depth  and  fullnesc,  and 
another  year  of  such  rapidly  increasing  deformity,  will,  doubt- 
less, make  it  unrecognizable. 

There  can  be  no  proper  development  of  the  voice  without 
healthy  action  of  the  organs  which  produce  it,  and  in  a 
cramped  position  these  organs  cannot  possibly  have  healthful 
exercise. 

My  first  thoughts  on  this  subject  occurred  during  the  past 

17 


fifteen  months,  and  while  the  experience  and  illustrations 
given  fully  prove  that  much  may  be  done  later  in  life  to  repair 
the  defects  resulting  from  the  lack  of  early  physical  educa- 
tion, yet  the  most  patient,  long-continued  effort  can  never 
wholly  change  the  results  of  early  neglect. 

During  my  personal  experiments,  following  this  line  of 
thought,  in  two  months'  time  fourteen  cubic  inches  in  the 
vital  capacity  of  my  lungs  were  gained.  At  one  time,  after  in- 
haling fifteen  seconds,  my  breath  was  held  two  minutes, 
making  the  time  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  seconds  from  the 
beginning  of  one  inhalation  to  that  of  the  next.  Within 
the  past  year  I  have  increased  half  an  inch  in  height.  This 
resulted  from  the  effort  to  straighten  unnatural  curves  of  the 
spine.  My  chest  expansion  has  also  increased  from  two  to 
five  inches. 

My  voice  has  been  proportionately  developed  ;  and  while 
holding  a  conversation,  in  my  lowest  tone  above  a  whisper,  no 
word  was  audible  to  a  person  standing  behind  me,  yet  my 
loudest  tones  were  distinctly  understood  by  a  stranger  standing 
four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  distant  in  front. 

Of  three  girls,  whose  average  age  was  twelve  and  two- 
thirds  years,  during  twenty-one  days'  practice,  and  having 
eight  lessons  of  one  hour  each,  their  average  gain  in  chest  ex- 
pansion was  two  and  five-twelfths  inches.  Their  individual 

gain  was,  of  C.  M two  and  one-fourth  inches,  of  E.  M— 

two  and  one-fourth  inches,  and  of  F.  H —  —  two  and  three- 
fourths  inches.  In  the  nineteenth  day  of  their  practice,  the 
loudest  tone  of  each  could  be  distinctly  understood  by  a 
stranger  to  the  speakers,  standing  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
distant  in  front.  Their  low  tones  were  at  the  same  time  clear 
and  distinct. 

18 


Miss  H—  — ,  aged  twenty  years,  during  five  weeks'  practice, 
and  taking  but  one  lesson  per  week,  doubled  her  chest  ex- 
pansion. 

Miss  A.  M.  G ,  aged  twenty-three  years,  taking  two 

lessons  per  week,  during  her  first  two  months'  practice,  meas- 
ured by  the  same  spirometer,  registered  an  increase  of  thirty 
cubic  inches  in  the  vital  capacity  of  her  lungs,  and  in  one 
breath  could  trill  forty  more  notes  of  music  than  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  two  months. 

Other  examples  might  be  cited,  but  enough  have  been  given 
to  prove  the  value  of  what  the  writer  claims,  as  "  the  Merritt 
System." 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $!.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


MAR  27    1S.T 


LD  21-100ra-7,'33 


Photomount 
Pamphlet 

Binder 
Gaylord  Bros. 

Makers 
Syracuse,  N  v 

PAT.  JAN  21, 

GENERAL  LIBRARY -U.C.  BERKELEY 


YB   12335 


6000=531251= 


801888 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


